Maz statue unveiling on Sunday, Nats @ Pirates 9/3
The Pirates will unveil the Bill Mazeroski statue on Sunday, at 12:45 prior to the Pirates game. The ceremony will take place on Mazeroski Way outside the right field gate. Also, Maz will take part of throwing out the first-pitch as well riding around the warning tracks of PNC Park in a 1960′s Bentley convertible while highlights of his career will be shown on the jumbotron.
- Starting tonight the Pirates will wear a JLB patch on their right sleeve in honor of Joe L. Brown on their home whites only.
- John Bowker will start in right field tonight, his home debut as a Pirate.
- Nyjer Morgan is appealing his eight-game suspension from the drama that went down with the Marlins. Morgan currently has an appeal on a seven-game suspension from a few weeks ago.
- Pirates president Frank Coonelly repeated to Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he is “extremely disappointed” in his team. Asked how safe GM Neal Huntington and manager John Russell are, Coonelly said he is “evaluating every aspect of [the team's] operation in order to determine how [to] get the club moving in the right direction immediately.”
Friday’s Pitching Matchup:
Livian Hernandez 9-9, 3.49 ERA
VS
Zach Duke 6-12, 5.17 ERA
Hernandez has been struggling of late. In his last 17.2 innings he is just 1-1 with a 7.13 ERA. In his last start against the Cardinals he pitched 6.1 innings giving up five runs on eight hits and struck out two.
Duke went 5.1 innings against the the Brewers his last trip to the mound. He allowed four runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out one. Zach left the game ahead, but the Bullpen couldn’t hold the lead and he got the no-decision.
Nationals Lineup:
Nyer Morgan CF
Ian Desmond SS
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Adam Dunn 1B
Michael Morse RF
Ivan Rodriguez C
Justin Maxwell LF
Danny Espinosa 2B
Livan Hernandez P
Pirates Lineup:
Andrew McCutchen CF
Jose Tabata RF
Neil Walker 2B
Garrett Jones 1B
Pedro Alvarez 3B
Ryan Doumit C
John Bowker RF
Ronny Cedeno SS
Zach Duke P
Kristy Robinson
